Iran’s 'city of the mouthless' to get more attention

Shahr-e Yeri, a unique archaeological site in northwest Iran, is set to be turned into a "national heritage base", a status that may bring more attention to the ancient city sometimes referred to as the “city of the mouthless”.

Credit: ISNA

Situated near Pirazman village of Meshkin Shahr, in Ardabil province, Shahr-e Yeri is one of the earliest settlements in the Iran and is estimated to be more than 6,000 years old.

Credit: ISNA

“The decision of establishing a national heritage base in Shahr-e Yeri was made after it faced many problems and followed warnings about the inappropriate state of the historical site,” ISNA reported.

Credit: ISNA

Shahr-e Yeri embraces an Iron-Age fortress, three prehistoric temples and 280 carved stones on which mouthless faces are depicted, all stretched across 400 hectares of several small hills.

Credit: ISNA

It is thought these stones were used as totems, worshipped by the inhabitants of Shahr’e Yeri before the collapse of the city after it fell to the Urartians.

Credit: ISNA

The dead were buries in megalithic tombs, the majority of which were found empty due to illegal excavations.

Shahr-e Yeri was inscribed on the list of National Heritage Sites in 1931.

Source: Tehran Times [August 09, 2018]